|
What we have listed so far in this feature are basic activities that need to take place for a horse to become relaxed around humans, become desensitized to being touched and to strange things in the human environment, and for the horse to invest his emotional energy in being attentive to his handler and to learning.
For people who have successfully gentled and trained dozens of wild or difficult horses this handling process becomes pretty much intuitive. These folks know what approach to use, when to use it and what kind of results to expect.
Folks who haven't actually done a great deal of this kind of training may find parts of this process a bit overwhelming and a logical "road map" from first introduction through the saddling process could be of significant benefit. One clear, safe and very reliable sequence of horse gentling and handling is Frank Bell's Seven Step Safety System. A detailed explanation of Frank's system as published in Western Horseman magazine can be viewed by clicking
Here.
While it is not our intent to promote individual trainers and training systems, we've observed people learning and safely using Frank's system without having to spend thousands of dollars on clinics, seminars and videos. To learn more about Frank and his system you can log onto his web site at
www.horsewhisperer.com. His site provides a great deal of good information and if you would like to obtain a video or two in order to actually see how his process works, those items can be ordered from his web site.
Whatever approach you decide to use, think about safety first. Challenge the horse but don't overwhelm him. Generate curiosity instead of stress and keep the horse's sensory stimulation varied so he doesn't fixate and get stuck in his "compartments."
|
From wild to handicapped riding horse
"Don't touch me"
Getting used to people "up high"
Flat on her back
The end product
|
